


Take Me Where the Music Ain't Too Loud

by cherryicicles



Category: 13 Reasons Why (TV)
Genre: F/F, Jealousy, M/M, Mutual Pining, Spin the Bottle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:14:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25206811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherryicicles/pseuds/cherryicicles
Summary: Zach and Alex play a game of spin the bottle at a party.
Relationships: Zach Dempsey/Alex Standall
Comments: 4
Kudos: 58





	Take Me Where the Music Ain't Too Loud

**Author's Note:**

> hi!! this is my contribution to zalex week, day 6: games. for a bit of context before you read, the timeline of this is kind of in season 1, but diego is there bc why tf not. also, since this is before season 2, zach and alex aren't really that close yet, but like we all know, they've been pining after each other from the beginning. hope you enjoy!

Alex didn’t even know why he was there. He hated Bryce and all of his friends. Well, most of them. But he still found himself on the couch in Bryce Walker’s pool house, red solo cup in hand filled with an unknown alcoholic substance that was supposed to be getting him drunker than he was currently. He looked around. He noticed Justin and Jessica whispering and giggling with each other across the room. Clay had made a surprising and rare appearance, sitting awkwardly on the edge of his seat. Alex saw him simultaneously relax and tense up when Scott Reed sat down next to him. Zach was playing beer pong in the middle of the room with a few other football players and some girls that Alex didn’t recognize. Zach landed the ball in a cup opposite him, cheering loudly, a classic Dempsey smile spread across his face. Alex smirked to himself. Just then, Zach and Alex’s eyes locked. Alex looked away quickly, his cheeks heating up and turning red. He glanced up shyly again, noticing Zach doing the same. His stomach fluttered.

He had never thought of Zach like that, but lately he found himself becoming jealous whenever he saw Zach with another random girl at these Friday night parties. Even the sight of Zach having a friendly conversation with Chloe would set his skin on fire. One Friday, when the liquid courage was hitting his system rather quickly, Alex felt the sudden urge to find Zach among the crowd of teens. He stumbled around the party, calling out Zach’s name drunkenly, bumping into anyone and everyone. He began trying doorknobs, finding most of them locked. The last knob he tried swung a door open, making Alex trip inside the doorframe. Zach was laying down on the bed inside the room, a blonde girl straddling his hips and hovering over his bare chest and his toned, muscular body. They were in the middle of a moment that was obviously intimate, and the girl was rightfully annoyed. Especially when Alex unexpectedly threw up on the shoes she left by the door. 

“What the fuck?” she asked angrily. Alex could’ve sworn that when the girl dismounted the taller boy's waist, Zach let out a breath. Alex felt another wave of nausea hit him, and he doubled down on the contents of his stomach he already emptied onto the girl’s shoes. 

“Ugh!” the girl gasped. “Get the fuck out of here!”

Zach sprang up then, quickly pulling his shirt over his head. “Hey, give him a break, he’s obviously fucked up.” To Alex’s surprise, Zach placed a hand on the underside of his forearm, stabilizing him. He led Alex to the nearest bathroom, kicking Jessica and Justin out when he found them making out in the bathtub. Alex remembered Zach’s gentle hand on his cheek as the other used a towel to clean up his mouth and shirt. 

“I’m sorry,” Alex said, suddenly feeling like he was about to cry. “I didn’t mean to cock-block you.”

Zach laughed. “Nah it’s cool. If I’m being honest, I was kind of glad that you yacked all over her shoes. I was in need of an escape route.”

“It seemed like you were pretty into it when I interrupted.”

“Not really. I don’t think I even knew her name, but the guys just kind of pushed the two of us together.”

“Seemed like she was into it.”

“Yeah, she was. And she’s probably a great girl, but I’m just not into that.”

Alex’s heart fluttered. Was Zach...into guys? Did Alex have a chance? 

Zach’s face turned bright red then, realization of the words that slipped out of his mouth hitting him.

“I mean random hookups. I’m definitely into girls, I didn’t mean that I don’t like them like that, of course I do. Why wouldn’t I...” Zach sputtered out. His last words were almost a whisper.

Alex gave Zach an awkward smile, suddenly very uncomfortable with Zach’s hand on his cheek. 

_ Why would I think he would be into guys, let alone me,  _ Alex thought.  _ Zach’s like one of the most popular guys at Liberty, and even if he did like guys, I would be the last one on his mind. _

Zach could sense Alex tensing up under his touch, and pulled back his hand. 

“What’s wrong? Are you going to throw up again?”

Alex cleared his throat, desperately thinking of a way to get out of this bathroom. “I think I’m just going to go home now.”

“Oh. Okay, let me give you a ride.”

“No, it's okay, I’ll just walk home.” Alex reached for the doorknob. 

“It’s no trouble, really. It’s probably not a good idea for you to be walking this late being this drunk.”

“I’m not that drunk, it’s fine Zach. I can make it.” 

Alex stepped out of the bathroom into the crowded hallway. He turned sharply when Zach caught his arm.

“Alex, come on man, just let me give you a ride-”

“Jesus, Zach,” Alex yelled, a little louder than he wanted. “Just leave me the fuck alone! We’re not fucking friends, so stop acting like it.”

Everyone was staring at them. Zach’s face reddened in embarrassment, reluctantly letting go of Alex’s arm when he brushed him off harshly. Alex stormed out of the party, feeling guilty.

That was the last time that Zach and Alex had talked in weeks. But now Zach was throwing longing looks Alex’s way and he didn't know what to think. 

Alex smiled to himself as he looked at Zach from across the room. After that night, Alex felt a flirty air around him and Zach. The stolen glances and brief fleeting touches went unnoticed by the other jocks. Both boys felt an electricity spark between them when they were in the same room. His eyes quickly snapped to Bryce, who was now whistling loudly from atop the coffee table. 

“Okay mother fuckers,” Bryce's voice boomed above the music. “We’re playing spin the bottle.”

His announcement garnered mixed reactions, some party guests cheering in agreement and others groaning in disapproval. Zach was one of the annoyed voices in the crowd. 

“Come on, Bryce. We’re not in sixth grade.”

“You’re right, Dempsey,” Bryce retorted. “Because you got a lot more action back then.”

The jocks erupted into laughter, shoving Zach’s shoulders playfully. Zach was not amused, clearly, but he smiled weakly and chuckled along good-naturedly, flashing a look in Alex’s direction. 

The middle of the room was cleared, the participants forming a circle around the empty bottle of beer in the center. Despite himself, Alex found an empty place on the circle and sat hugging his knees. He surveyed the crowd: Bryce, Scott, Clay, Sherri, Jessica, Justin, Ani, Chloe, Diego, and Zach. 

Bryce reached for the bottle, but Scott eagerly snatched the bottle from him. He spun the bottle, not so subtly looking in Clay’s direction. His face dropped noticeably when the bottle settled on Jessica. Scott leaned in quickly and barely touched her lips before pulling back and sitting down to do what Alex could only describe as pout. 

“Ouch,” Jessica said, only slightly offended by Scott’s kiss, or lack thereof. “You could’ve just spun again to get who you really wanted.”

“No re-spins. Those are the rules,” Bryce said.

Scott’s cheeks turned pink, but he said nothing. 

Jessica spun the bottle, a cheeky grin spreading across her face when it landed on Ani. The two girls shuffled on their knees to the center of the circle, Jessica flashing a flirty smile in Justin’s directions before she grabbed Ani’s face and kissed Ani with a loud and exaggerated ‘mwah’. Ani wasn’t satisfied.

“Is that all you got Davis?”

Jessica gave Ani a questioning look, but she made a surprised noise once Ani’s lips were on her own again, in a kiss with much more passion than the previous one. The circle cheered. A moment later, Jessica returned to her seat next to Justin, a little flustered. 

A few more rounds went by, and Scott kept trying and failing to land on his intended target. Eventually, it was Clay’s turn after he had received a kiss from Sherri. He spun the bottle, and the neck pointed directly towards Scott. Scott practically tripped over himself making his way towards Clay. He brought Clay’s face close to his, and leaned in, smiling into the kiss. 

Alex had pretty much spaced out at this point. The bottle had never landed on him, and surprisingly not Zach either. Alex would steal a glance at Zach across the circle when two players were kissing, but Zach never met his gaze. Only when Clay and Scott separated and Scott said, unintentionally loud enough for the whole circle to hear, “I’ve been waiting to do that all night,” did Zach’s eyes meet Alex’s, if only for a fleeting second. 

When an out of breath Scott finally returned to his place in the circle, he leaned forward to spin the bottle again, but was stopped by Bryce. 

“Dempsey,” he said, sliding the bottle on the carpet to stop in front of Zach. “You haven’t gotten any action tonight. Your turn.”

“What happened to the rules?” Zach asked.

“Fuck the rules. You haven’t swapped spit with someone in too long. So, nut up and spin the damn bottle.” Bryce and the circle stared expectantly at Zach.

Zach rolled his eyes, but spun the bottle regardless. Alex sucked in a breath, silently willing the bottle to stop in front of him. He didn’t think that that would really work, but he proved himself wrong when the bottle slowed in front of him. The eyes that followed the bottle as it spun in the circle now drifted up to Alex. He started to panic, realizing he didn’t consider what he would actually have to do if it pointed at him. 

The silence of the circle was broken by Bryce. “Well shit. I guess that’ll do. Pucker up Standall.”

Zach met Alex’s eyes. He nodded at Alex, silently asking if he was alright with this. Alex couldn’t think. He couldn’t breathe. He never thought he would actually get the chance to kiss Zach Dempsey, but this was the last situation he thought he would be in. His heart was hammering in his ears, but he ignored it and the lightheadedness that threatened to make him collapse in the middle of the circle as he shuffled on his knees towards Zach. Zach’s face was bright red, from the alcohol or the embarrassment that he was going to have to kiss him, Alex didn’t know. 

“You good?” Zach whispered tentatively. 

Alex nodded curtly in response. He didn’t think anything would come out if he tried to speak. They stayed there, staring at each other, until Diego broke the silence. 

“Get on with it idiots. You don’t have to make out with each other. Just fucking kiss already.”

Zach and Alex smiled and looked at each other shyly. Alex exhaled, deciding that he was going to get this over with quickly to save himself and Zach any embarrassment. Zach looked so uncomfortable that it made Alex a little sad. The fact that he had to kiss Alex made him squirm this much. Alex just wanted to stop seeing the pained look that Zach was giving him, so he leaned forward and pressed his lips to Zach’s. 

Everything around him went quiet. His lips burned in the most incredible way, more than it had with any girl he had kissed before. Alex was so lost in the feeling of the kiss, but he snapped back to reality and pulled away from Zach harshly, not before he felt the slightest feeling of Zach starting to move his lips against Alex’s. Alex wrote it off as his imagination. There was no way Zach liked that. 

Alex was a little dizzy after the kiss, and even Zach looked disoriented. Diego clapped him on the back as he returned to his place in the circle, but he didn’t look as amused as his friends. Alex absentmindedly spun the bottle, placing a rushed and chaste kiss on Chloe’s lips when it landed on her. The group quickly lost interest in the game, and Bryce was satisfied with the participation from the whole circle, so the players got up from the circle and dispersed into the party soon after. 

Alex was still feeling a bit lightheaded, so he headed outside to sit by the pool. He sat down on the edge, hugging his knees, the light from the pool illuminating his face. He almost gasped out loud when he heard Zach’s voice behind him.

“Can I sit?”

Alex tried to nod nonchalantly, wanting to seem as aloof and disinterested in Zach as possible so he would leave him to wallow in his sexual frustration in peace. 

Zach sat next to Alex, both staring into the cool blue that the pool lights were giving off. Silence enveloped them, Alex not wanting to talk to Zach at all for fear he might say something embarrassing, and Zach, unbeknownst to Alex, not speaking because he was just as sexually confused as Alex and didn’t know how to put it into words. 

“Sorry you had to kiss me,” Alex mumbled, the awkward silence proving too tense to go unnoticed.

“No,” Zach started. “Don’t apologize. Bryce is just an ass. And anyways, it was a nice kiss...per se…”

Alex’s head snapped up. Zach looked at him, frightened that he said something wrong. Alex’s mind was scrambled. Zach liked the kiss? 

“Is this a fucking joke,” Alex said. “Are you fucking kidding? Don’t be a dick, Zach.”

“No, no, no! I wasn’t kidding. I liked it. Shit, well…” Zach paused calculating his next words in his head. “Yeah. Yes. I did fucking like it. And I fucking like you. And I don’t really know what that means for me, but all I know is I like being around you, Alex. I don’t expect you to feel the same, and I’m sorry if this makes you uncomfortable, but I needed to say it. And I’m sorry that I’ve been so distant lately but I was just...scared. About what you would think, what the guys would think...what my mom would think. But I don’t really give a fuck anymore, because I like you Alex Standall.”

Alex was speechless. So much had happened in the last half hour that it felt like he kept getting hit by an emotional battering ram. His brain finally computed what Zach had just said to him. Zach looked hurt, like he was about to burst out crying because Alex was taking so long to respond. But Alex didn’t know what to say.

“Are you fucking with me still…”

“Jesus, Alex, is it so hard to believe that I like you?” Zach laughed.

“Um, yeah kinda. There’s actual hot guys at Liberty, some of them are your friends, and I’m not one of them.”

“My friend or one of those hot guys?” Zach asked cheekily. “Because you made it pretty clear after you threw up on that girl’s shoes that we aren’t friends. And yeah, I would say you’re pretty hot.”

Alex blushed. “Well, whatever. All I’m saying is that I’m surprised that you would choose me when you have all those other options.”

“I’m not interested in them. I don’t even know if I like most guys like that, but I’m into you. And why wouldn’t I be? I love the way you don’t give a fuck what anyone else thinks, and you don’t put up with anyone’s shit. Not to mention you’re insanely smart and funny. What’s not to like?”

“This is all just really surprising. But I do...feel the same way about you.”

“That’s a relief. I’ve kind of been hitting on you for the past few weeks, and I just thought you were either oblivious or homophobic or something.”

“You have not been hitting on me you liar! When the fuck did you do that?”

“All the time! When I offered you a ride home for example. How did you not get the hint?”

“What fucking hint, Dempsey! You really suck at flirting if you think that the shit you were doing was working.”

“Well, it kind of did work in the end…” Zach grinned at Alex. 

“Who says that it did?” Alex smiled back inching closer to Zach’s face.

“I don’t know, you seemed to really like that kiss back there. Why don’t we try it again?”

“Getting cocky now, are we Dempsey?”

“Shut up Standall…”

Zach and Alex’s lips connected once again. The spark each felt earlier was now amplified, feeling freer now that their feelings were out in the open. They grabbed at each other, Alex balling his fists in Zach’s shirt, Zach cupping the other boys face in one hand and gripping his waist with the other. Their lips slid across each other in unison, pushing and pulling, separating only for a moment to catch their breath before crashing their mouths together again. They were totally entranced in each other’s touch, the party around them melting away. A shout from the pool house caused them to pull apart from each other, breathing heavy. 

“Fuck yeah, Dempsey. Finally getting some action! You could’ve told me you liked Standall. It would’ve saved me a lot of hassle trying to set you up with those girls.”

Zach and Alex laughed at Diego. They looked into each other’s eyes. 

“Judging from that kiss, I’m pretty sure my flirting worked.”

“Stop bragging and kiss me, Dempsey.”

**Author's Note:**

> hope you liked it! leave a comment or kudos if you like!!


End file.
